It's the best tactical iso strategy to date. The expansion's good too, but I didn't find it as necessary as others.

It's perfection all the way through. The gameplay is expertly tuned, always hovering between challenging and comfortable. It keeps you on your toes. There's always more ways to make it harder.

Leveling up characters is unbelievably satisfying. The high-level skills and equipment are all useful and powerful. This means losing veterans is painful and memorable. Naming your characters is extremely important to the core gameplay experience. Give them silly names and curse at them as they miss the 87% shot.

The UI deserves special mention. It's rock solid. I never found myself struggling with movement or actions, it's unobtrusive but informative. There are satisfying boops and bonks for every action. Criminally overlooked element of the tactical strategy experience.